The Bremeron Sun (Bremerton, Washington), Saturday, December 6, 1941
Sitka, Alaska, Dec. 6 - (UP) - Fire early today destroyed a $100,000 drill barge owned by the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co. as it was working in the channel between Sitka and Japonski Island, a site of a $13,000,000 U.S. naval air station.
The crew of six escaped a few minutes after the fire was discovered at 3:45 am., and took with them several cases of dynamite and all the caps on board.
They were unble to remove 1,250 pounds of dynamite stored in a magazine in the barge's hold. However these 25 cases of dynamite were expected to explode and spray the vicinity with burning debris.
Workmen said the fire started from the explosion of a kerosene stove in the drying room on the barge and gained considerable headway before they discovered it.
Comdr. J. R. Tate of the naval air station refused to allow anyone near the burning barge lest it explode. Army and navy fire trucks stood by helplessly.
The S. S. North Coast of the Northland Transportation Co. was docked only 200 feet from the barge but moved hastily and anchored in the channel.
